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Turbocharged engines provide the fuel efficiency of a smaller engine while offering the output of a larger engine. It’s no wonder that turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines are becoming an increasingly popular option for pickup trucks. The Nissan Titan is actually the last full-size pickup truck to offer no turbocharged engine option. The Toyota Tundra, on the other hand, only comes with turbocharged engine options.

What engine options does a Nissan Titan have?

The only engine Nissan offers in its 2022 Titan pickup truck is a 5.6-liter gasoline V8. This engine makes 400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque. Until 2020, Nissan also offered a diesel V8 from Cummins in its medium-duty Titan XD, but this engine has been discontinued.

Nissan Titan pickup truck towing a camper trailer through the mountains, a rsandy idge line visible in the distance.
2021 Nissan Titan | Nissan

Nissan’s VK56VD is relatively advanced for a naturally-aspirated V8. It is constructed out of aluminum alloy and features direct injection and Nissan’s “variable valve event & lift system” also known as VVEL. This 5.6-liter V8 is similar in output to Ram’s 5.7-liter HEMI V8 or the outgoing 5.7-liter V8 in pre-2022 Tundras.

When Nissan rolled out its 2020 redesign of the Titan, canceling the diesel engine option, it also upgraded to a 9-speed automatic transmission built by Jatco. The result is 21 highway and 18 combined mpg for both 2WD and 4WD Titans. The 2WD gets 16 mpg in the city while the 4WD version gets just 15.

What full-size pickup trucks offer turbocharged engines?

Ford, General Motors, and Toyota all offer turbocharged gas-powered engines in their light-duty, full-size pickup trucks. Ford, Ram, and General Motors also offer turbocharged diesel engines.

Promo photo of three Ram 1500 pickup trucks with the turbodiesel engine option.
2022 Ram 1500 turbo diesel trucks | Stellantis

Ford pioneered reliable,  turbocharged engines with its EcoBoost engine family. Today, you can get your Ford F-Series truck with a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, or the hybrid version of the turbo 3.5: the PowerBoost. You can also order a turbo-diesel in your light-duty, full-size F-150: the 3.0-liter Powerstroke V6.

Unlike Ford, Ram offers no turbocharged gasoline engines. If you want a turbocharger in your Ram 1500, you’ll have to opt for the in-house 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6. In heavy-duty Ram trucks, you can also get a turbocharged, Cummins-built I6 diesel.

Interestingly, both Ford and Ram offer a naturally-aspirated V6 as their base engine. But General Motors takes a different approach: its base Silverado/Sierra 1500 engine is a 2.7-liter turbocharged I4. It also offers a turbocharged diesel I6: the Duramax 3.0-liter.

Is the Toyota Tundra turbocharged?

Toyota made a bold decision, tossing the Tundra’s V8 in favor of a twin-turbocharged V6 during the truck’s 2022 redesign. Every new Tundra comes with a different tune of this engine, based on its trim level–including a hybrid: Every new Tundra is turbocharged.

Toyota Tundra truck driving down the road, a train visible in the distance.
2022 Toyota Tundra Limited | Toyota

The new Toyota Tundra engine is a 3.44-liter twin-turbocharged V6. Toyota builds its base model Tundra SR with a 348 horsepower version of this engine. Mid-trim Tundras feature a 389 horsepower version of this engine. Finally, the top-trim i-FORCE MAX hybrid drivetrain sandwiches an electric motor between this V6 and the ten-speed automatic transmission for a total of 437 horsepower.

Learn about Ram’s upcoming twin-turbocharged “Tornado” I6 or check out TFL’s longterm review of the Nissan Titan in the video below:

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Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.